Sliding doors



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. H. FORD. METHOD OF GONSTRUGTING SLIDING DOORS.

No. 442,220. Patented Dec. 9, 1890.

(No Model.) .2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. H. FORD. METHOD OF UONSTRUOTING- SLIDING DOORS. No. 442,220. Patented Dec. 9, 1890.

STATES PATENT OFFicE.

ALFRED HENRY FORD, OF NORTH FI-TZROY, VICTORIA.

ETHOD OF CONSTRUCTING SLIDING DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,220, dated December 9, 1890.

Application filed October 16, 1888. Serial No.288,252. (N0 model.) Patented in Victoria April 17,1888, No. 5.770; in New South Wales April 19, 1888.110. 629 in South Australia April 19,1888,No. 1,008 3 in Queensland April 21,1888,N0. 460 in New Zealand April 26, 1888,110. 2,948, and in England May 28,1888,No. 7,792.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALFRED HENRY FORD, upholsterer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 100 Michael Street, Clifton Hill, North Fitzroy, in the British Colony of Victoria, have invented a new and useful Improved Method of Constructing Sliding Doors, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in the following British colonies, viz: Victoria, patent dated April 17, 1888, No. 5,770; in New South Vales, patent dated April 19, 1888, No. 629; in South Australia, patent dated April 19, 1888, No. 1,008; in Queensland, patent dated April 21, 1888, No. 160; in New Zealand, patent dated April 26, 1888,No. 2,948, and also in Great Britain, patent dated Hay 28, 1888, No. 7,792,) of which the followingis a specification.

This invention of an improved method of constructing sliding doors consists in hinging or otherwise attaching them to a sliding jamb, andis intended to be used, principally, in the manufacture of wardrobes, its object being to enable said doors which are lined with looking-glass to be so arranged as to enable a front, side, and partial back view of the person to be seen. It may, however, be used in connection with doors for any purpose whatever.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved sliding jamb, the door hinged thereto being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of the grooved base and top, showing the sliding jamb in end elevation. Fig. 3 is an under side view of the foot of the jamb. Fig. A is an isometric view of a single winged wardrobe having one of its doors attached to a sliding jamb. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a double-winged wardrobe having two of its doors hinged to sliding jambs, and Fig. 0 is a section on line a a of Fig. 5.

This invention relates to the mode of securing and operating the doors of articles of furnitnre generally; and it consists in structural features and combinations of parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and as set forth in the claims.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention in its application to a wardrobe, as in such an article of furniture one of the objects of my invention may be practically carried outnamely, that by lining or facing the doors of the wardrobe with mirrors the doors may be so adjusted as to obtain a view of a person from two or three sides simultaneously.

In the drawings, A indicates the sliding jamb that has an L-shaped head-piece A and a similarly-shaped foot-piece A The headpiece A carries friction-rollers A on its face, and the foot-piece A runs on friction-rollers A said head and foot pieces fitting and moving in suitable grooves D.

To the jamb A is hinged the door B, Fig. 4:, and B is a second door hinged in the usual manner to the stationary jamb J.

As shown in Fig. at, the door 13 is open and the door B closed, and if the door B has a mirror M for lining, and the door 13' a mirror M for facing, the sliding door B may be so adjusted relatively to the door B as to obtain a view from two sides of a person. This adj ustment may be readily obtained by means of a stop S, arranged within the radius of the swing of the door B. Such stop may be a.

strip of rubber or other elastic material. The door B may also have a mirror for lining instead of a facing, in which case both doors will have to be opened to obtain the view referred to.

To close the compartment to of the wardrobe \V, Fig. 1, the jamb A is moved to the left until arrested by the stops 0, when the door may be closed. The door can of course be swung wide open when the jamb has been moved into its proper position on the left of the wardrobe, but the drawers cl could not be opened, as the jamb projects slightly over them. The knobs of the drawers d may be placed in a recess and their outer faces brought flush with the face of the drawers, or the latter may be made shorter than the depth of the wardrobe.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a double-winged wardrobe having three doors, of which the doors B and B are hinged to sliding jambs, the central door B being hinged to a stationary jamb, and, as shown,the said door 13 has a mirror M on its inner face, so that three sides of a person standing between the doors B B in front of the mirror-faced door B will be exposed to view.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a screen with pivots or pintles that fit in grooves in a frame above and below such screen for the purpose of sliding the screen to and fro in the frame and revolving it on its pivots, and I do not desire to claim this construction; but

What I do claim is "1. The combination, in a wardrobe or similar article of furniture, of a door-frame provided with a jamb adapted to move across the door-opening, in combination with a door hinged to said jamb, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination, in a wardrobe or similar article of furniture having several compartmen ts, of door-frames, each provided with a jamb adapted to move across the door-opening toward each other, and a door hinged to each of said movable jambs, substantially as described.

3. An article of furniture having both of its front vertical corners formed by a laterally-movable door-jamb, in combination with a door hinged to said jambs, said doors hav ing an interior mirror-lining, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination,in a wardrobe or similar article of furniture having three compartments, a door-frame for the central compartment having fixed jambs, and a door hinged thereto, of door-frames for the outer compartments, each provided with a jamb adapted to move across the door-opening toward the central compartment, and a door hinged to each of said movable jambs, substantially as described.

5. A wardrobe provided with a plurality of i swinging and laterally-movable doors having their inner faces covered with mirrors, in combination with a friction device operating to stop the motion of the doors on their pivots, whereby said mirrors may be adjusted as to distance from each otherand as to their relative angles substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. A Wardrobe having three compartments and its front vertical corners formed by jambs constructed to slide toward the central compartment, a door faced with looking-glass for said central compartment, and a door lined with looking-glass hinged to each of the sliding jambs, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. A wardrobe having three compartments and its front vertical corners formed byjambs constructed to slide toward the central compartment, a door faced with looking-glass for said central compartment, and a door lined with looking-glass hinged to each of the sliding jambs, in combination with a friction device operating to stop the motion of the doors that are hinged to the jambs, whereby the angle of said doors relatively to the closed door of the central compartment may be varied or adjusted, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

ALFRED HENRY FORD.

YVitnesses:

WALTER SMYTHE BAYSTON, WALTER CHARLES HART. 

